Franco-Turkish Political Relations Concerning

Cilicia and the Republic of Armenia (in December 1919 - June 1920)

 

DOI: 10.53548/0320-8117-2025.1-32    //-32

 

Abstract.

The statesmen of the Entente powers did not announce the interrelationship between the belonging of Cilicia and the borders to be formed for the united Republic of Armenia, while the Government in Yerevan initially accepted its inability to deal with the Mediterranean region. Participants of the two London Conferences, held on December 22-23, 1919 and February 12 - April 10, 1920, then politicians at San Remo on April 18-26 of the same year had composed the Treaty of Sevres and published it on May 11. The bulk of Cilicia was left by its text within the Ottoman Turkey. Being highly disappointed, the French Government responsed by its new line of conduct. On December 5-7, 1919 its representative began to negotiate with the not-official Kemalist authorities. The latter approved of France’s concessions regarding Cilicia and its proposal to establish a ceasefire in this region on May 30, 1920. France initiated the rapid withdrawal of its troops from this territory and touched upon the possibility to conclude a separate peace treaty. France was ready to compromise on the Treaty of Sevres in exchange for the opportunity to make business all around Turkey. This concerned the future sovereign possession of Sebastia, Erznka, the city of Erzerum, Trapezund and the construction of the railway to Batum. These cessions were evaluated as ponderable stimuli not only for the Subleme Porte in Constantinople, but also for the Kemalists, contributing to conclusion and implementation of the agreement. This tactics, implemented by the official Paris, revealed the following system of priorities in the French politics: they were Syria, Cilicia, the Republic of Armenia, the Treaty of Sevres, and its implementation at the cost of cessions.  //-33

 

Keywords: Cilicia, France, Republic of Armenia 1918-1920, Franco-Kemalist armistice of May 30, 1920, Treaty of Sevres  //-34  ...